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An undercover officer who allegedly "spied" on the Lawrence family disclosed details concerning the separation of Stephen Lawrence's mother and father, Doreen and Neville.

Doreen and Neville Lawrence pictured in 1999. Credit: PA Wire

The officer - known as N81 - reportedly "touched on personal details" concerning the family to the Special Demonstrations Squad (SDS) during the 1998 inquiry into Stephen Lawrence's death, according to the Ellison report.

Neville Lawrence labelled the claims as "disgusting", telling the Daily Mail: "It's unbelievable. They have mocked everything we have done, telling us to our faces that they are listening and things will change, and all the time laughing behind our backs.

"I think they are actually worse than criminals because these officers get paid with taxpayers' money for what they do."

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has told ITV News that it was "pretty awful" to hear the findings of the report into Stephen Lawrence's murder investigation.

"As a professional police officer and then to see the reaction of Mr and Mrs Lawrence who were clearly distraught by what it had heard having lost their son so many years ago, at any level, human or professional, it is pretty awful to hear that list of terrible events," he said.

The head of the IPCC has apologised to the Lawrence family for the police watchdog's part in prolonging the "family's search for the truth".

The chair of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) Dame Anne Owers said today that she has apologised to Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Neville Lawrence, parents of murdered teenager Stephen, for the police watchdog's part in prolonging the "family's search for the truth".

Commander Richard Walton has been temporarily moved from his post as Head of the Counter Terrorism Command, SO15, to a non-operational role, following the publication of the Ellison Report, Scotland Yard said today.

The Metropolitan Police said it had voluntarily referred the matter to the IPCC.

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Duwayne Brooks has called on the Home Secretary to "remedy the wrongs" exposed by the Ellison review into the Stephen Lawrence murder investigation.

Brooks' solicitor Jane Deighton said the findings of the report could be the "basis for a series of legal actions against the police".

Duwayne Brooks was with Stephen Lawrence on the night he was murdered in an unprovoked attack by white youths in 1993. Credit: PA Wire

Mr Brooks, who was with Stephen Lawrence on the night he was murdered in 1993, said his attempts to move on from the trauma had been hampered by the way he was treated by the police and the manner in which the case was "mishandled".

However, the statement said it would make the situation "worse if it is Duwayne who has to take the initiative to get redress", claiming it should be the state to "remedy the wrongs".

Ms Deighton said Mr Brooks invited the Theresa May to "respond to us by setting out how the state could now start to put things right" during a meeting between the two.

“To see Neville and Doreen Lawrence struggling through their tears was awful. The Met has come to know them well and I have enormous respect for their quiet dignity and powerful determination to see justice, which I share.

“I cannot rewrite history and the events of the past but I do have a responsibility to ensure the trust and the confidence of the people of London in the Met now and in the future. This will need a considered response to meet head-on the concerns that have been expressed in yesterday’s report.”

Two men convicted of arson attacks on department stores will ask to have their convictions quashed in the first of a raft of cases that could be overturned due to the involvement of undercover police.

Lawyers for Andrew Clarke and Geoff Sheppard claim they were the victims of a miscarriage of justice when they were found guilty of firebombing branches of Debenhams.

They will renew attempts to get the convictions overturned after a damning report by Mark Ellison QC published yesterday found that information obtained by undercover officers had not been disclosed to defence teams and therefore miscarriages of justice may have occurred.

Former Metropolitan Police commissioner Lord Paul Condon said today "at no stage did I ever authorise, or encourage, or know about any action by any undercover officer" in relation to murdered Stephen Lawrence's family and friends.